


Fourth's Fireworks

by illustriousprotagonist



Category: Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Fireworks, Fourth of July, Gosh this hurt my heart to write, Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Ryden, True Love, Two dorks who are so in love, love amirite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-21 14:05:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7390195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illustriousprotagonist/pseuds/illustriousprotagonist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brendon and Ryan watch fireworks together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fourth's Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this last year, inspired by a fireworks show two years ago, for my creative writing class. My teacher submitted it to a contest, and this little Ryden ficlet won out of 300+ students. 
> 
> The power of Ryden amirite.

Brendon’s smile reflected across Ryan’s glasses, mingling with the exploding lights above them.

Ryan played with Brendon’s hair as he laid his head in Ryan’s lap. Brendon closed his eyes happily, feeling long fingers twirling in the short locks.

The lights flashed and fireworks popped and sizzled. With every lit-up expression, Ryan fell deeper in love with the man whose head was currently in the crook of his crossed legs. The picnic blanket underneath the two crinkled around their bodies.

They had their fair share of fights and arguments, but they were nothing in comparison to small moments like these.

Ryan, being the former lyricist he was, was thinking about all the different lyrical choices he could make to create a song about the love of his life.

As he studied Brendon’s visage, he smiled to himself. _Bright like the sun, still beautiful as it falls--like the sunset._ No, he thought, that’s too cliche.

The way his lips lifted upward, the way one dimple crinkles, the way his teeth are perfectly aligned, Ryan thought. The warm glow his smile gives off.

_If his smile is a ray of sunshine, then I am a sunburn._

Brendon noticed Ryan staring at him, then he smiled wider. “What are you staring at?”

Ryan looked up for a second, then looked back to Brendon. “I’m staring at the love of my life.”

Ryan thought there was something about the way he smiled: the way butterflies seemed to escape the prison of his stomach and the way the sun had somehow fallen down from the clouds and made its way into his heart. Brendon had that kind of smile that made him feel joyful to be alive and just a little bit more human.

Brendon’s face lit up again as he pointed to the sky. A firework boomed as it combusted, a vivid display of reds and blues and yellows and greens against the otherwise black sky. As the rockets burst through the night, fiery bursts against the flecks of stars, Ryan was less interested in the display than in witnessing Brendon’s expressions, how they brighten his face as he smiles. Like a perfect, real life photograph.

Like the fireworks, Brendon’s visage sent searing colour into Ryan’s life, each one drawing new and unique patterns on his life’s story. Brendon, to Ryan, was something of a firework. Equally spontaneous and breathtaking, never to be repeated exactly no matter how many are ignited and sent into the sky.

Before he knew it, the fireworks show was over, but Ryan had a special trick up his sleeve. He put his hands under Brendon’s head and urged him to get up.

People were starting to leave, then, but Ryan called out. “Excuse me? Everyone, I have an announcement.”

Brendon tilted his head, a confused smile plastered onto his face. “Ry, what are you doing?”

Ryan grabbed Brendon’s hands and pulled him to his feet, and Ryan fell to one knee.

Ryan smiled as Brendon looked around, seeing all the people staring at the two. For a moment, he was breathless, staring up at the man who was looking at him with a burning passion.

“I love you. That means I would defend you with my life, even if the odds were insurmountable. It means I will comfort you in the difficult and painful times. It means I will dance and celebrate with you when times are good. Love means I will never betray you nor ever give up on you. Love says though life may trial me, I am yours into eternity. It means I will never put you in the path of danger. There can never be a higher destiny to me than protecting and loving you. Love is not an emotion for sheep, for sheep run in the sight of fear. It is an emotion for lions, so be brave, my love.

If I ever give up on your love, then I have killed myself, for it is your heart that pumps blood through my veins. If I ever grow stone cold, come find me, because then I am truly lost. If I ever pull back at your touch, I have hurt my soul and need your forgiveness. With your love around me, I will always find my way home, for when fear sets my compass spinning, it doesn’t matter which direction I take, only that I keep walking.

Brendon Boyd Urie, every since I met you, I knew you were the one I’m supposed to be with all of my life. So, I’m asking you the same. Can I be the one who spends the rest of my life with you? Will you marry me?”

Brendon wiped away a tear, looking expectantly around at the people who were staring at them. Ryan pulled the ring box out of his back pocket, which hurt like hell sitting on it for the longest time.

“Yes, of course,” Brendon laugh-cried. The crowd of passersby and onlookers all erupted into cheers and claps. The man on the other side of the field--where the fireworks show went on--nodded in happiness, even though Brendon nor Ryan couldn’t see the celebratory gesture. The man set off the last firework Ryan had paid an arm and a leg for.

Ryan had slipped the small gold and diamond ring on his love’s finger, hopping to his feet and dipping Brendon to kiss him.

The firework exploded behind them, and Ryan turned Brendon around to see it burst. It was a display of many, many different coloured fireworks. They all exploded in the shape of a heart.

Brendon looked back to Ryan, tears dripping down his face.

When Ryan first saw Brendon’s face, it wasn’t the perfect features he dwelled on--not the perfect brown and green eyes, nor the perfect pink lips. Instead, it was the small imperfections and insecurities that drew him in. The small scar on his eyebrow, the width of his forehead. In that moment, Ryan found someone who was perfectly imperfect for him.

Now, when Ryan looks upon Brendon's face, he loses himself. Those beautiful eyes can see past his mistakes and addictions, every impurity erased. All negativity is cleansed. To him, it was almost like a religious or spiritual experience. He knows Brendon’s eyes can see through him, but he knows they do not dwell on anger nor selfishness. He looks past every flaw to find the _real_ person Ryan was. And in that moment, Ryan knew he was perfectly imperfect for Brendon, too.

**Author's Note:**

> This happened to another couple last year during a fireworks' celebration I went to. A man proposed to his girlfriend whilst a firework went off behind them. May or may not have spiffed up the dialogue ;^) .
> 
> Wherever that couple is now, I wish them a happy rest of their lives together.
> 
> (Credit is due to whomever took the picture at the end of this story. It is beautiful.)


End file.
